Artificial hand.



D. W. DORRANOEP ARTIFICIAL H-AND.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.1'7, 1912.

1 342,41 3 Patented Oct. 29, 1912.

WITNESSES:

,4 TTORIVEY vtail of the means Pfiifli blld lf DAVID W. DORRANCE, OF KOLER, OREGGN.

ARTIFICIAL HAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ct. 2%.,itfift2.

Application filed February 17, 1912. Serial no. 678,401.

To all whom 2'25 may concern Be it known that 1, DAVID W. DORRANGE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Koler, county of Douglas, State of Oregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Artificial Hands, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention has for its object the providing of a device which is inexpensive to manufacture, convenient to attix on an arm-stump, and likewise convenient to use; also to make the operation of my improved hand similar to the gripping action of the fingers of the human hand; also to adapt my artificial hand to be used for many and various uses, especially to firmly hold objects and implements, particularly table implements and working tools. The construction, operation and attachment of my device are illustrated in the accompanying drawings constituting a part of this specification.

In such drawings: Figure l is a perspective of my artificial hand showing it as attached to a human arm-stump, and showing the device so operated, by the bending of the arm at the elbow, that implements may be inserted between the fingers .of my artificial hand; this figure further showing, in broken outline, the position of'the parts when the arm-stump is moved ,to the position required to cause the automatic closing of the fingers of my device, and in so doing firmly grasping the implement inserted between the fingers; Fig. 2 is a side elevation in perspective of my artificial hand, illustrating the mode in which, for example, a knife is held thereby; Fig. 3 illustrates my artificial hand as holding an umbrella; and Fig. 4: is a derotatably holding the main finger of my artificial hand to the extremity of the socket or case which is aflixed to the arm-stump.

My hand is formed with a wrist disk 10, by which it is rotat'ably supported on the extremity of the case or socket Z). See F 4. The main finger, a, of my hand is an integral part of said. wrist disk 10. The case or socket b is adapted to be ailixed on the human arm- 5 0.

stump, as usual, and is secured in place by straps, as shown at 0. The main finger, a, is provided at c with a hinged knuckle, in which is hinged the movable finger d. Both fingers are made with hook-shaped extremi s of the same radius, and preferably so made that when the two fingers are together, without holding any object, they will form, in cross section, a circle, and that each of said hooked extremities constitute a half circle in cross section, with their fiat faces opposed to each other. The flat inner surfaces of the fingers gives a better hold on the implements to be held.

At 6 I provide an elastic agent or retractive means. I find it very convenient to use for this purpose a plurality of rubber bands encircling both fingers, a, (1, near the knuckle joint 0, and providing some means, 6. 9., a projecting pin f, for holding the bands against displacement. These, however, of course are mere details of construction, although my experiments have shown that there is a superior property apparently in rubber bands over ordinary metallic springs, when applied to the use I put them to in my invention.

On the movable finger, d, is provided a perpendicular member g, serving the purpose of a thumb, as it were, being concave on its inner face, so as to afford a better hold .on the implement gripped by my artificial hand. The extremity of the member (1 is formed with an eye h, in which is fastened a cord, 2', the upper end of which inserted under the fastening strap, 0, of the casing or socket Z), and fastened to a shoulder piece as at s, in Fig. 1.

The movement of the stump of the forearm, into extended position, would cause separation of the fingers, a, Z, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and by bending the forearm, as indicated by broken outline in the same figure, said fingers would be brought together bands, and thus the fingers caused to firmly grip the implement.

The manner in which the implement is hold is illustrated in Fig. 9-, the handle y of the knife shown bearing against the inner concave face of the member j of the movable finger, and the blade of the knife being held bet-ween the flat inner surfaces of the fingers a, d.

In order to give to my artificial hand a more pleasing appearance, it may be incased in a glove-like casing, as shown m in Fig. 3.

It will be noted that my artificial hand may also be used as an ordinary rigid'hook by merely detaching the strap '21. rind it will i also be noted that my artificial hand be by the contracting action of the rubber adapted to he ttastened on t" ing from said plate; a movable fun readily applied to the end taco F) of the many types oi. cmnniercial casings or sockets,

like Z), new on. the market,

I claim:

1. An artificial hand comprisino' a socket adapted to be fastened on the stump otan amputated. arm; a rigid finger. pro ecting from the extremity oi said socket; a inovahle finger hinged to the rigid finger and matching with and normally closed on said rigid finger; a rigid per 'iendicular meini'ier on said movable to form a seat against which an article held by theartiticial hand is supported; a cord fastened at one end to said rigid member for fastening at its opposite end to the shoulder of the wean-e13, means, comprised in said socket id its fastoning means, for guiding said cord at the joint of the elbow of the amputated arm; and means for normally closing the mov able linger on the rigid finger.

2. An artificial hand comprising a socket c stump of an amputated arm; a rigid tinge" projecting from the extremity oi? said socket; movable finger hinged to the rigid finger and match ing with and normally closed on said rigid finger; a ri id perpendicular member on. said movable finger to form a seat against which an article held by the artiiicial hand is supported; rigid member torizn' l near its free end with a concave inner face; a cord fastened at one end to said rigid memher for fastening at its opposite end to the shoulder of the wearer, means, conrprisv said socket and its fastenin; guiding said cord at the ic nt- '1" of the amputated arm; and means mally closing the mov l finger on finger.

.3, An artificial hand eon )rising socket, adapted to be fastened on the stur of an amputated arm; a rigid tinger projecting rrom the extremity of sa socket; Z'UOY able finger hinged to the rigid tin perpendicular member on said ger; said rigid member cave inner face; a col to said rigid incmher l c l. its opposite end to the shoulder of the wearer, means, comprised in said socket and. its fastening means, for guiding said cord at the joint of the elbow of the amputated arm; and a rubber band encircling said fingers in front of said hinge joint.

4. An artificial hand comprising a socket adapted to be fastened on the stump of an amputated arm; a plate rotatable in the ex-- treinity of said socket, a rigid finger projectv 7 5r hinged to the rigid finger and inatcaing with and normally closed on the rigid finger; the e treinity of saidv fingers when together forming a hook; the inner opposite faces of said fingers made fiat; a perpendicular men-lie on said movable linger; said rigi member formed. with a concave inner face; a cord fastened at one end to said rigid ineniher for fastening at its opposite end to the shoulder oi? the wearer, means, comp1 scd in said socket and its fastening means,

guiding said cord at tho JOlllt of the eliJOW of the an'iputated arm; and means for normally closing the movable linger on the rigid finger.

5. An hand comprising socket adapted to be cued on the stump of an amputated arm, treinity of said soclret, a rigid finger projecting from said plate, a pivoted finger cooperating with and matching the station-- ary linger at the free end, the pivoted finger m We...

each of said fingers representing approximately a half circle in cross section; a rigid perpendicular member on said movable fmger; said rigid menih formed with a concave inner face; a cord fastened at one end to rigid for stoning at its opposits end to ti? shouldcrot' the wearer,

ised in d socket and its fas- .ior guidi W said cord at the re elbow or the am putated arm;

and a rubber band encircling said fingers in front of said hinge joint,

7. An artificial hand comprising a socket adapted to he fastened on thestump of an amputated arm; a plate rotatable in the exremity of said socket, a rigid finger projccting fron'i said plate,'said finger provided with a hinged knuckle; a movable finger hinged to said hinged knuckle of the rigid linger and matching with and normally closed on said rigid finger; the extremity of said fii'igers when closed forming a hook; the inner opposite faces of said fingers made flat and each of said fingers representing approximately a half circle in cross section; a rigid perpendicular n'ieinher on said movahle linger to form a seat to support an article held by the artificial hand; said rigid member formed ,With a concave inner face; a cord fastened at one end to said rigid member for fastening at its opposite end to the shoulder of the wearer, means, comprised in said socket and its fastening means, for guiding said cord at the joint of the elplate rotatable in the ex pposite faces of said fingers made fiat and how of the amputated arm; and nieans for normal 1y closing the mo's'ahie finger on the rigid finger.

"k device of the character described comprising a pair of hook-shape fingers, one of which is pivotally mounted, the hook ends of said fingers matching, means for normally drawing the fingers together, the pivoted finger having a projection which extends away from the hook ends of the fingers, means for securing the device to an arm stump, and means extending from the pivoted finger for operating the some.

9. A device of the Clltll'ttCtQI' described comprising a pair of matching fingers, one of which is pivotally mounted, the pivoted finger having an extension, the end of which terminates beyond the piene of the pivoted finger and serves as a support against which I an article hears when gripped between the fingers, meens for norinaiiy ciosing the fingers, means for operating the pivoted finger, and means vt'or securing the device to an arm stump.

10. A device of the character described, comprising a stationary finger formed at its free end with a lateral. extension, a second finger pivoted to the stationary finger andl formed at its free end with a lateral extension which contacts with the lateral extension of the companion finger to form gripping jaws, the pivoted finger having a seat formed on one surface in rear of the iaterel extension to provide a support for an article being held by the jaws, means for normally closing the fingers, and means extending from the pivoted finger to operate the same.

11. A device of the character described, comprising a stationary finger formed at its free end with a curved hook, at finger pivoted to the stationary finger and formed at its free end with a curved hook, an upward and outwardly projecting support extending from the pivoted finger in rear of the curved hooked end end from the inner surface of the said finger, the upward extended portion of the support being inside the plane of the inner curved surface of the curved hook, means for normally closing the pivoted finger on. the stationary finger, and means tor operating the pivoted finger ior gripping an article.

DAVID W. DOltlt-ANGE.

Witnesses (iron, Leno, W. Lewis COOP. 

